noun
trouble
TRUH-buhl
noun
1
A difficult, worrying, or dangerous situation or problem.
"She's in trouble with her boss after missing the deadline."
"The old car has been nothing but trouble since we bought it."
verb
1
To cause someone worry, distress, or inconvenience.
"It troubles me that he hasn't called back yet."
"Sorry to trouble you, but could you pass the salt?"
How to Use Trouble
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA problem or source of worry, or the act of causing someone worry or extra effort.
Common mistake
"Trouble" is usually uncountable when it means general difficulty ("in trouble"), but countable when it means specific problems ("money troubles").
Common pairings
get into trouble
take the trouble to
no trouble at all
Word Forms
troubled past tense, troubles plural, troubles singular
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Etymology
From Old French troubler, "to disturb or stir up," ultimately from a Latin root meaning a disorderly crowd — the same idea of things being "stirred up" survives in the modern sense.